Venetian-blind appliance



Oct. 9, 1928.

A. C. HOUGH VENETIAN BLIND APPLIANCE Filed Oct. 15, 1926 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 9, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,687,092 PATENT OFFICE.

AZEL C. HOUGH, OF JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO HOUGH SHADE CORPO- RATION, 0F JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN, A CORIEORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

VENETIAN-ZBLIND APPLIANCE.

Application filed October 15, 1926. Serial No. 141.717.

My invention relates to improvements in equipments or appliances especially adaptable for use in connection with Venetian blinds for tiltably mounting, hanging, or suspending the same, and consists essentially of a peculiarly constructed hanger 'or bracket, and an attachment for one terminal of the rock bar at the top of the Venetian blind, which attachment comprises a part adapted frictionally to engage and yielding means to retain said part in close contact with said bracket, together with such other parts and members as may be necessary or desirable in order to render the invention complete and serviceable'in every respect, all as hereinafter set forth.

One object of my invention is to provide means whereby a Venetian blind can be easily and quickly mounted in position for service and there secured, and as easily and quickly released and dismounted or taken down.

Another object is to provide tension or friction means for the top rock bar of a Venetian blind, whereby said bar is permitted to be rocked to tilt the blind to whatever extent may be desired, and is then retained in the position in which it is left.

A further object is to combine the aforesaid mounting and tension means in a single comparatively simple and inexpensive, yet

strong,durable,andhighly efiicient, appliance that can be readily attached to a Venetian blind structure.

It is usually necessary, in order to take down a Venetian blind, to remove the brackets supporting the same. In-the present invention the blind can be dismounted from the supporting brackets withoutremoving either of the latter.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the course of the following description.

I attain the objects and secure the advantages of my invention by the means and mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation (in partial section) of a Venetian blind structure which has incorporated therewith an appliance that embodies a practical form of my invention; Fig. 2, an enlarged end elevation of the fixed and top rocking bars of said structure and a corresponding elevation of saidappliance; Fig. 3, an enlarged, longitudinal, vertlcal end of the rock bar which is adjacent to said bracket.

Similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the several views. In the first view I have illustrated a Venetian blind structure, showing the blind in position for use. This blind comprises top and bottom movable bars 1 and 2, respec tively, a plurality of movable slats or panels 3, two pairs of tapes 4 of webbin and a plurality of cross tapes 5, and said lind is supported from a fixed bar 6, provided with a draw cord 7, and a tilting cord 8. Two hangers or brackets 9 and 10 depend from the bar 6 and carry the blind. The bar 6 is secured in any suitable mannerand by any suitable means to the under side of the top trim of a window, a portion of such trim being represented at 11, although said bar might be carried on bracketsoutside of the window trim. The bar 6 is longitudinally slotted and vertically perforated to accommodate the draw cord 7 beneath the window trim 11 and permit said cord to pass down through the bottom of the bar, and the latter is also recessed to accommodate a plurality of idlers 12 for the cord, all substantially as shown. The cord 7 passes downwardly through the openings in the bar 6 to and through openings in the bar 1, in the panels 3, and in the bar 2, the ends of said cord being fastened to said last-named bar. When that portion of the cord 7 that is at the righthand end, of the blind is drawn downwardly, the other portions of said cord carry the bar 2 and the panels 3 upwardly until the up ermost panel encounters the bar 1, and, w en said first-named portion of said cord is released, the bottom bar and panels descend as far as permitted by the tapes 4, which tapes in each pair are attached to the top of the bar 1 and to the bottom of the bar 2. The panels 3 pass between the front and back tapes 4 and respectively above the cross tapes 5. When the bottom bar and panels are let down, the webs 4 hold the panels in place transversely and the cord 7 holds them in place longitudinally, on the cross tapes 5 which then support them.

The parts and members briefly described above are well known both structurally and functionally.

The bracket 9, which is the left-hand bracket in the present arrangement, comprises a vertical member having at the top a horizontal lip or flange 13 that is secured by means, such as screws, to the under side of the fixed bar 6. In the approximate center of the bracket 9 is an opening 14 which at the bottom has the form of a slot 15. Pivotally attached at 16 to the outside of the bracket 9 is a latch 17. The bottom or front (according to position) edge of this latch is adapted for engagement with and disengagement from a part of the attachment presently to be described and which is carried by the bar 1, and said latch is provided with a lip 18 to facilitate moving the latch into and out of engaging position.

The bracket 10, which here is at the right, in size and general outline corresponds with the bracket 9, and has a similar flange 13 for a similar purpose. The right-hand bracket is perforated at 20 to receive a pin or trunnion 19 which projects from the right-hand end of the bar 1.

The brackets 9 and 10 are provided to support respectively the leftand right-hand ends of the bar 1, which bar being somewhat shorter than the distance between said brackets is adapted to be received between them. The axial center of the opening 20 in the bracket 10 is in line with the axial center of the bottom part of the slot 15 in the bracket 9, Which part is semi-circular.

An attachment, for the terminal of the rock bar-1 which is adjacent to the bracket 9, comprises a. plate 21, a friction disc 22, a horizontal plunger 23 having a conical head 24, and a spring 25 for said plunger.

The plate 21, which is designed to be mounted on the bar 1, is bent downwardly at one end to form an end-piece 26, and the bottom of said end-piece is bent inwardly to form a lip 27. Thus the plate 21 and the lip 27 are adapted to embrace the end portion of the.

bar 1 with the end-piece 26 against the end of said bar, when said plate is in position on top of the left-hand end portion of the bar. The plate 21 is fastened to the top of the bar 1 by means such as screws. The screws employed in the present example to fasten the plate 21 to the bar 1, and also those employed to fasten the bracket flanges 13 to the bar 6, are indicated by the numeral 28. Within'the bar 1 is a recess 29 which is covered on top by the plate 21 and at the outer end by the endpiece 26. Extending from the plate 21 downwardly into the recess 29 is a lug 30 which is perforated to receive and form a guide or bearing for the'inner terminal of the plunger 23. The end-piece 26 is also perforated to receive and form aguide or hearing for the outer-end portion of said plunger. The head '24is outside of the end-piece 26. The spring '25 encircles the plunger 23 between the endpiece 26 and a washer 31 mounted on and a pin 32 assing through said plunger. The pin 32 is at the left of the lug 30, and the Washer 31 between said pin and the adjacent end of the spring 25. Thus it is seen that the spring tends constantly to actuate the plunger 23 with its head 24 toward the right or inwardly. The disc 22 is rigidly secured to the outside of the end-piece 26 by means of lugs 33-33 struck out of said end-piece, as shown in Fig. 5, and said disc also is perforated, in the center, to receive the outerend portion of the plunger 23. A washer 34 may be mounted on the plunger 23 between the head 24 and the disc 22. The disc 22 is preferably cupped and has an outer, flat rim portion to contact with the inner face of the bracket 9, when the bar 1 is in operative position.

A pair of ears 35 is struck upwardly from the plate 21 adjacent to the outer end thereof,

and opposite ends of the tilting cord 8 are secured to these ears. I

The opening 14 in the bracket 9 is large enough to receive the head 24, and the slot 15 in said bracket is of a size to receive the plunger 23 To mount the blind in place for operation the trunnion 19 is inserted in the opening 20 in the bracket 10, the latch 17 is swung upwardly into the position shown in Fig. 4, if said latch be not already in such position, and

the head 24 inserted in the opening 14.fro1n the inside, and draw downwardly on the bar 1 to cause the plunger 23 to move outwardly and then snap downwardly into the slot 15. The snapping into place of the plunger is facilitated'by the conical shape of the head 24, since the tapering sides thereof are Well adapted to ride down on the edges of the perforation in the bracket 9 and at the same time be forced to the left by such edges. The weight of the blind is suflicient, as a general rule, to cause the plunger 23 to descend into the slot 15, against the resistance offered by the head 24 under restraint from the spring 25, because in practice there are some forty (more or less) instead of three panels in the blind, and the width of the blind is much greater than indicated by the showing in Fig. 1, so that the blind is quite heavy. The sprin 25 yields when the plunger 23 is forced outwardly by the head 24 to enable said plunger to enter the slot 15 and then said spring acts forcibly tohold the disc 22 tightly against the inner face ofthe bracket 9, inasmuch as said spring bears against the inside of the end-piece 26 and forces the head 24 against the outside of said bracket, through the medium of the plunger 23,

washer 31, and pin 32. The head 24 engages the bracket 9 at and adjacent to the edge portion of the slot 15, as best shown in Fig. 3. As soon as the plunger 23 is seated in the slot 15, the latch 17 .is swung downwardly into the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and with its now bottom edge in forcible contact with the conical side of the head 24 securely holds said plunger in the bottom of said slot, and prevents the-plun-ger from riding out of the slot into the opening 14. The blind is now properly and safely supported from the fixed bar 6, and can be collapsed and expanded by means of the cord 7, or tilted in elt-llier direction by means of the cord 8, at w1 Due to the force with which the disc 22 is held against the bracket 9, the bar 1, after being rocked to tilt the blind, remains in' Whatever position it may then be left, and retains the bar 2 and the panels 3 at corresponding angles. lVhile this force is ample to hold the blind in any tilted position, and in the non-tilted position as well, it is not sufficient to prevent the rocking and tilting of the parts by pulling downward on either the front or back reach, accordingly as to whether it be desiredto tilt said parts forward or backward, of the cord 8. The ears 35 are located one behind the other, whereby one reach of the cord 8 is enabled to pass from one of said ears down in front of and the other reach of said cord to pass from; the other of said ears down behind the Todisengage and dismount the blind or remove it from'the brackets 9 and 10, the latch 17 is swung upwardly away'from the head 24, the left-hand end of the bar 1 is forced upwardly to carry the plunger-23 from the slot into the opening 14, when the spring 25 retracts said plunger as far a as the pin 32 and the washer 34 permit, the

head 24 is removed entirely from said opening, and the trunnion 19 is withdrawn from the bracket 10. The pin 32 is now in contact with the lug 30 and the washer 34 with the end-piece 26. There is sufficient clearance between the bracket 10 and the adjacent end of the bar 1, when said bar is in operative position, to'enable the bar to be moved to the right a sufiicient distance for the parts at the opposite end to clear the bracket 9 after being released there-from, and the same clearanceis utilized in the operation of mounting the blind in place for service.

The parts are so proportioned that, when the plunger 23 is retracted, the head 24 is positioned by the washer 34 and the pin 32 withthe outer face of said head beyond the vertical plane of the rim of the disc 22. If this'were not the case, the head 24 would 'not be able to engage the bracket 9- and operatethroughthe medium of such engagement in a manner to enable the plunger 23 to enter the slot 15. The diameter of the disc 22 is, of, course, greater than the size of the opening 14. At the time the plunger 23 and the head 24 are snapped out of enmade, without departing from the spirit of my invention or exceeding the scope of what is claimed.

\Vhat- I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an appliance of the class described,

a ,rock bar, a bracket and means to support said bar from said bracket, said means including a fixed friction member on the inside and a spr'ng-pressed friction member on the out-side of said bracket, whereby said baris held at anypoint of adjustment about its axis.

2. In an appliance of the class described, a rock bar, and supporting means for one end of said bar, said means including 'detachable means to hold said bar against endwise movement, and also including friction means toyieldingly hold said bar at any point of adjustment about its axis.

3. In an appliance of the class described, a fixed supporting member, a rock bar provided at the end with a fixed member and a yielding'member adapted frictionally to embrace said supporting member, and means to support said bar at the other end.

4. In an appliance of the class described, a fixed supporting member, a rock bar provided at one end with members adapted f ctionally to embrace said supporting member, one of saidbar members being spring pressed inwardly, and means to support said bar at the other end.

5. In an appliance of the class described, a fixed supporting member, a rock bar provided at one end with a fixed member and a yielding member adapted frictionally to emrace' said supporting member on opposite sides, said bar members being removable from saidsupporting member, and means to detachably support said bar at the othenerd.

.6. In an appliance of the class described, supporting members for the ends of a rock bar, a rock bar having one end supported by one of said members, and provided at the other end with a yielding axial member having a headreceivable in and adapted to engage the other of said supporting members, which last-named member is perforated to all of the parts of this appliancevmay be V receive said head, and means carried by said last-named member to lock said head in engagement therewith and release it therefrom.

7. In an appliance of the class described, supporting members for the ends of a rock bar, a rock bar adapted at one end to engage one of said members, and provided at the other end with a friction member, and with a spring-pressed plunger having a head receivable in the other of said supporting members, and adapted to retain said friction member and said last-named supporting member in close contact, said last-named supporting member being perforated to receive said head, and means carried. by said lastnamed supporting member to lock said head in place therein and release it therefrom.

8. The combination, in an appliance of the class described, with a bracket having therein a communicating opening and slot, and provided with a latch, and a second bracket, of a rock bar adapted at one terminal to engage said second bracket, of a rock bar adapted at one terminal to engage said second bracket, and provided at the other terminal with a friction disc, and with an inwardly spring-pressed plunger having at the outer end a head, said head being receivable in said opening, and adapted when moved downwardly to be actuated outwardly and locate the adjacent part of said plunger in said slot, and then to be secured by said latch with said plunger in said slot, with said friction disc against the inner face of said bnaket.

9. The combination, in an appliance off the class described, with a perforated and slot ted bracket provided with a latch, and a sec ond bracket; of a rock bar adapted to have one terminal connected with said second bracket, and recessed at the other terminal, a plate attached to the recessed terminal of said bar, and having an end-piece and a lug, which lug extends into the recess in said bar, a friction disc rigidly attached outer end with a head.

to said end-piece, and an inwardly springpressed plunger mounted in said endpiece and said lug, and having a head at the outer end, which head is adapted to be passed through the opening in said first bracket and pressed downward to carry the adjacent portion of said plunger into the slot in said first bracket, whereby the bar is axially supported at one end by said first bracket, and the latter is tightly embraced between said head and said disc, said latch being adapted to secure said plunger in said slot and to release the same.

10. The combination, in an appliance of the class described, with a bracket having therein a communicating opening and slot, and provided with a latch, and a second bracket, of a rock bar adapted at one terminal to engage said second bracket, and provided at the other terminal with a friction disc, and an inwardly spring-pressed plunger having at the outer end a conical head. said head being receivable in said opening, and. adapted When moved downwardly to be actuated outwardly and locate the adjacent portion of said plunger in said slot, whereby the bar is axially supported at one end by said first bracket and the latter is tightly embraced between said head and said disc, said lat-ch being adapted to secure said plunger in said slot and to release the same.

11. In an appliance of the class described, a bar having therein a recess which opens through the top and one end thereof, a plate having an end-piece over the open top and end of said recess, said plate having a lug that extends into said recess, and upwardlyextending lugs for the attachment thereto of a tilting cord, and said end-piece having engaging lugs, a friction disc fastened to said end-piece by said engaging lugs, and a plunger slidingly arranged in said first-named lug and said end-piece, and provided at the AZEL C. HOUGH- 

